Artificial island



. 1949 A. l -IOUGHTALING 2,488,542

. Filed June 28, 1945 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 22, 1949 A. L. HOUGHTALVING 2,438,542

- ARTIFICIAL ISLAND Filed June 28, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

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. AMER L, HOUGHTALI NG I i w w v v 9 A. 1.. HOUGHTALING 2,483,542

ARTIFICIAL ISLAND INVENTOR.

AMER L. HOUGHTALl-NG Patented Nov. 22, 1949 a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTIFICIAL ISLAND Amer IL. Hou'ghtallng, Portland, Oreg. Application June as, 1945. Sofia-1N0. 601,997

2 Claims. (Cl. 114-135) My invention relates to artificialislands, and I is particularly adapted to be used as an airplane runway and floating dock located in the ocean or other large body of Water.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of wave dispelling means associated with the island, large or small, for creating a stabilized island relative to the surface of the body of water in which it is located.

Another object of my invention is to provide a dock and airplane facilities in mid-ocean, or in other Words the provision of an artificial island to be used for landing and taking 01f of airplanes and providing quiet harbors in mid-ocean for anchoring seagoing vessels thereto.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a floating dock used in harbors adjacent the shore line for the handlin of materials 'to be loaded or unloaded on water craft. My new and improved floating island can be used along any exposed shore line, as for instance Where logs from timbered areas or minerals or other naturalresources are to be. loaded on ships and the like where no natural harbors are available.

As stated above, the primary object in the construction of my new and artificial island is the provision of wave dispelling units, completely or partially surrounding the island for the dispelling of waves and creating a quiet condition of the sea in the lee of the island. When my new and improved artificial island is anchored in midocean it provides a huge floating clock, which in itself dispels the waves of the ocean and at the same time creating a quiet harbor on the opposite side of the island from which the waves strike the island for the harboring of ocean going vessels, small craft and amphibious airplanes.

These and other incidental objects will be apparent in the drawings, specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan perspective view of my new and improved artificial island, showing a cross section of the sea adjacent the nearest edge of the island.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the corners of the island, parts broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side sectional view, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2, parts broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detailed section of one of the wave dispelling units, illustrating one of the principles of dispelling the force of the wave.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan sectional view,

taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3, partsbroken away forconvenienceof illustration.

In the drawings:

My new and improved artificial island consists of an upper surface or platformi mounted upon a series of wave dispelling units :2. The wavedis- .pelling units are supported one upon the other by the vertical pedestals .3. The wave dispelling units are preferably constructed-of horizontally arranged units which are of hollow construction, having the space 4 formed between the upper and lower shells 5 and 6. The vertical pedestals 3 are preferably madehollow in cross section, providing. communication between the spaces] of the dispelling units, through openings 3a although I do not wish to be limited to hollow :construction in either the pedestals 3 or the units '2, as they may be of solid construction.

The principle of the dispelling units .in operation .is as follows. The waves of the ocean enter between the units .or into the spaces 1., dividing the waves into horizontal sheets or layers. Openings 8 are provided through the dispelling units 2 and allows a portion of the waves or built up water pressure to pass therethrough as they progress through the units. The dispelling units 2 continue from the edge of the island inwardly a suificient distance to completely dispel the waves of the sea, after which the island may be made up in a number of various ways, as for instance the honeycombed wall construction 9, which provides for water tight compartments providing the buoyancy for supporting the island.

Suitable means, not here shown, may be provided for flooding the compartments ID or expelling the water therefrom, to gain the proper elevation of the island within the sea, or the tilting of the same in any direction that may be desired for special effects, as for instance the landing of planes or the loading of ships by changing the elevation of the surface of the island. The wave dispelling units 2, when they are of hollow construction as I have illustrated in the drawings, also provide for buoyancy of the island, but the primary object of the wave dispelling units to dispel the waves which are running into them and quiet water immediately behind the island on the opposite side so that ships can anchor in quiet water as would be the case in ideal harbors and the like.

In the construction of my new and improved artificial island, I do not wish to be limited to the size of the island, but it is estimated that it would be about one thousand feet by two thousand feet in dimensions and it will be readily understood that an object of this size in the ocean, having wave dispelling units as I have described above, will quiet considerable area of water in the lee of the island. Due to the complete dispelling of the waves the island is maintained in a stabilized condition, which is most desirous in the loading of ships and the landing of aircraft.

I wish it to be understood that the wavedispelling units could reach completely across the island from all sides, but I do not believe this is necessary and that other forms of construction can be employed centrally of the island, such as t I do not believe would be necessary. unless in cases of narrow islands which may be located adjacent shore lines and. so forth or islands of smaller dimensions.

Reviewing my principle of dispelling the waves, which is one of the primary objects of my invention, horizontally arranged wave dispelling units constructed either solidly or of hollow construction, but having openings or communicating ports connecting with the space between the dispelling units for transferring the pressure developed by the waves to and above the normal surface of the sea located within the island. The horizontally arranged Wave dispelling units separate the waves into horizontal sheets of controlled water.

The pedestals 3 may have a communicative opening with dispelling units 2 in order to provide communication between these parts for the use of the pedestals, it being understood that the height of the dispelling units would be about 8 feet, thereby providing considerable storage space for machinery and other articles when necessary or desired.

I do not Wish to be limited to the exact structure as illustrated in my drawings and described, as other mechanical equivalents may be substituted still coming within the scope of my claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A floating island, comprising a continuous 4 substantially horizontal top platform, a plurality of vertically spaced partitions arranged below and parallel with said top platform, a plurality of pedestals fixed to and depending from the top platform and extending through said partitions, said partitions being provided with a multiplicity of passages adapted for vertical passage of water therethrough under wave surge, and a plurality of compartments in the lower central part of the island adapted to receive a predetermined quantity of water for controlling the depth of the island in the water and for enabling controlled inclination of the island.

2. An artificial island comprising a horizontal platform forming a deck, a plurality of spaced vertical pedestals for supporting said platform above the surface of water in which they may be submerged, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal partitions secured to said pedestals below said platform to be submerged beneath said platform for dividing the water into layers, said partitions extending over an area substantially equal to that of said platform to confine substantially the entire area beneath said platform, and a plurality of spaced passages through said partition areas to permit the vertical passage of water under wave surge to dampen the wave action as it passes beneath said platform to provide calm water on the lee side of said platform.

AMER L. HOUGHTALING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 203,586 Brown May 14, 1878 283,091 Farquhar Aug. 14, 1883 2,364,072 Houghtaling Dec. 5, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 824,885 France Nov. 18, 1937 

